Centering mechanism for paper rolls and the like



G. A. BILOCQ April 21, 1964 CENTERING MECHANISM FOR PAPER ROLLS AND THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 15, 1961 ATI'ORMF'VS A ril 21, 1964 ca. A. BILOCQ 3,129,823

CENTERING MECHANISM FOR PAPER ROLLS AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 15, 1961 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 MIA/M1701? 25 23 27 Gearyes A. 5/1 0C0 G. A. BILOCQ April 21, 1964 CENTERING MECHANISM FOR PAPER ROLLS AND THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 15, 1961 1 WNWINIHIM.

AIIWRIVI'YS United States Patent 3,129,823 CENTERING MECHANISM FOR PAPER ROLLS AND THE LIKE Georges A. Bilocq, Plessiviile, Quebec, Canada, assignor to Forano Limited, Plessiville, Quebec, Canada Filed Nov. 15, 1961, Ser. No. 152,536 2 Ciaims. (Cl. 214-1) This application pertains to a device to be used in conjunction with a conveyor for paper rolls and the like and more particularly to a device for rejecting such paper rolls by pushing them off the conveyor and includes centering means for bringing the paper roll to be rejected centrally of the rejecting means.

The device contemplated by the invention is one to be used in conjunction with a conveyor wherein it is intended to remove the article which is carried by the conveyor, such article being paper rolls or the like, without having to resort to manual handling and completely automatically. Further requirements of such a device are that it be of simple design so that maintenance thereof be reduced to a minimum and the initial cost also kept at a low figure; dependability in operation is also of prime importance.

These are the main objects of the invention and are attained with a device which consists in providing, on a conveying table, means that will move the paper roll, or the like, located in that area laterally across and oft" the table. Further means are also contemplated for centering the paper roll or the like in relation to the rejecting means; the latter means preferably consisting of a section of the table which is pivotable on an axis parallel to the axis of the table. By so pivoting this section, the paper roll is made to move off the table.

Further objects and other advantages of the invention, as well as a better understanding thereof, will be afforded by the following description having regard to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal elevation view, in perspective, with part of the conveying table broken away to show the internal structure;

FIGURE 2 shows a vertical cross-sectional view longitudinally along the center of the table;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the pusher dog connected to the power means;

FIGURE 4 is a cross section in elevation along line 44 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is an elevational view along line 55 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 6 is a cross section view along line 6-6 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURES 1 and 2 show the general principle of the invention. A paper roll 1 is displaced along a conveyor generally denoted by numeral 3 and is made to stop centrally of a section of the table generally denoted by numeral 5. The centering is done by means of two pusher dogs 7 and 7' displaceable alongside table 3. Once paper roll 1 is in position, rejecting means will push it laterally off table 3. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the rejecting means consist of a section of table 3 (generally denoted by numeral 5) which pivots along an axis parallel to the axis of table 3 and located on one side of the latter as best shown in FIGURE 6 and as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The conveying table shown in FIGURE 1 consists of a frame 9 having two generally upstanding members 11 across which are rotatably mounted a series of rollers 13 which are preferably made of two abutting frusto conical members with the smaller diameter thereof located at the center. On either side of this series of rollers 13 are two aprons 15 mounted on frame 11.

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The pusher dog construction is best depicted in FIG- URE 3. It consists of a generally arrow-shaped member having a frontal plate 17 and a back plate 19 connected thereto at an angle and to a web plate 21. Web 21 is made to pivot between two upstanding brackets 23 fixed to a bearing plate 25 adapted to slide between two side cheeks 27. As clearly seen in FIGURE 2, the web 21 of each dog has a V-shaped rearward outline 29. Spring means, generally denoted by numeral 31, constantly urge pusher dogs 7 and 7 upwardly. Web 21 is so cut out that, in normal position, when frontal plate 17 is vertical, sharp edge 33 (FIGURE 3) sits on bearing plate 25.

These dogs are adapted to slide in slits 35 cut out through one side apron 15 located on the side opposite table section identified by numeral 5 in FIGURE 1. Slit 35 extends longitudinally and alongside table 3.

In retracted position of the dogs, the latter are made to pivot about an ax s through brackets 23 to a point where the back plate 19 is substantially horizontal, as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 2. FIGURE 3 also shows one of the dogs partly retrieved below apron 15. The retrieving movement is obtained when bearing plate 25 is pulled back (in a manner and with means to be described hereinafter) and the rearward outline 29 of web 21 abuts a pin 37 extending across the path of movement of each dog, the location of pin 37 being best seen in FIGURE 2.

The preferred pusher dog displaceable means will consist of an endless chain or chord wound around two sheaves 41. It will be useful, here, to refer to the upper strand 39 and the lower strand 39' although, being a continuous chain or chord, such reference is, in reality, inaccurate.

In order to provide movement of pusher dogs 7 and 7 towards and away from each other, one of the pusher dogs, such as 7, will be interposed in the upper strand 39 while the other will be interposed in the lower strand 39' thus, as the chain or chord is made to rotate in an endless manner, pusher dogs 7 and 7 will move in opposite directions as the lower and upper strands of an endless chain or chord. It will, of course, be realized that a different supporting structure for bearing plate 25 is to be provided for pusher dog 7' as compared to pusher dog 7. Whereas bearing plate 25 of pusher dog 7 is made to slide directly in cheeks 27, hearing plate 25 (FIGURE 2) of pusher dog 7' will slide in equivalent side cheeks 27' through the intermediary of uplifting plates 43, the purpose of which will be to maintain bearing plate 25' at an even level with that of bearing plate 25.

Movement of bearing plates 25 and 25' may be obtained by any known means such as the hydraulic piston 45 having an actuating rod 47 directly connected to hearing plate 25.

In order to provide for the retrieving of pusher dogs 7 and 7', a wide opening 49 is provided, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 3.

For best operation, the endless chain or chord 39, 39', should be so connected to pusher dogs 7, 7 that the latter will always stand at equal distance from the pivotable section of the table, generally denoted by numeral 5.

In operation, the pusher dogs normally stand in retrieved position, as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 2 with the back plate 19 substantially horizontal and level with apron 15. Whenever a paper roll 1 is to be discarded or pushed into an adjoining container, it is positioned between the two dogs and the endless chain means is actuated to bring the pusher dogs towards one another. As they start moving away from pins 37 (FIG- URES 2 and 3) dogs 7, 7' pivot in an upward direction until frontal plates 17 stand vertical under the action of 3 return spring means 31 and the fact that sharp edge 33 (FIGURE 3) abuts against bearing plate 25.

As aforesaid, the pusher dogs are made to move towards one another. If the condition is as shown in FIGURE 2, pusher dog 7 will abut the side of roller 1 and move the latter in the direction indicated by the broken arrow A until pusher dog 7 abuts the other side of roller 1. When that condition is obtained, the roller 1 will be centered in relation to the pivo-table section of the table. At that moment, the hydraulic piston 45 may be shut off, manually or automatically.

Once in that particular position, roll 1 is made to move sideways so as to drop off the table into another adjoining conveyor or into a stand-by container. This is achieved by the mechanism particularly shown in FIGURE 6.

The pivoting portion of the table is of the same nature as the remaining part of the table, that is, made of two upstanding side members 11' which may be stiffened by transverse members (not shown) although rollers 13, standing across and over upstanding side members 11', may be found to provide suificient stiffness. A portion of the side apron 15 on one side of table 3 may form part of the pivoting section 5.

Section 5 is made to pivot around any known pivoting connection 51 on a side member 11 on an axis which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of table 3 and on the side of the pusher dogs 7, '7'.

The power means to pivot the section may consist of a cylinder 53 having one end connected to a floor bracket 55 and the end of its piston rod 57 pivotally joined to a bracket 59 fixed to the upstanding side member 11' on the side of the table opposite the pivot connection 51.

As will readily be understood, once paper roll 1 is located centrally of section 5, actuation of piston 53 will move the section around pivot connection 51 into a position shown in dotted line in FIGURE 6 and identified by numeral 61. In that position the paper roll 1 will, of course, move to the left of FIGURE 6.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has just been described, it will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to such an embodiment and that scope thereof should be construed from the appended claims only.

I claim:

1. A centering and rejecting device for paper rolls or the like, comprising:

(a) a conveying table formed of a plurality of central conveyor rollers distributed axially of the table and of a longitudinal apron along each side of said conveyor rollers; said rollers being narrower than the diameter of the paper rolls adapted to be displaced thereover so that said rolls overlie a portion of each side apron;

(b) said table including a section pivotable about an axis parallel to and oifset from the axis of the table and comprising some of the conveyor rollers and the adjacent part of one side apron;

(c) lifting means connected to said part of said one side apron and acting to pivot said section to reject a paper roll located on said some of the conveyor rollers;

(d) the apron located across said lifting means being provided with groove means alongside said conveyor rollers and at a distance thereof such that the groove means will lie underneath passing paper rolls;

(e) two pusher dogs having upstanding webs projecting through said groove means and upstanding abutting surfaces facing one another above the apron and adapted to abut the ends of a paper roll to be centered;

(f) endless chord means, below said apron, having upper and lower strands moving in reverse directions and interconnecting said dog means with one dog connected to the upper strand and the other dog to the lower strand;

(g) power means driving said endless chord means for displacing the dog towards and away from one an other through said endless chord means;

(It) said dogs being disposed at equal distances from said pivotable sections and each being mounted on a displaceable carrier;

(i) said carrier being fixed to the chord of said endless chord means whereby a passing paper roll is first centered in relation to said pivotable section by said movable pusher dogs and then rejected by said pivoting means by being pushed off said table.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the web of each pusher dog is pivoted, adjacent the lower end thereof, to its carrier and pivots from a normal upstanding position towards substantial horizontal position by rotating in the direction of the other pusher dog and spring means to normally urge the dogs in upstanding position; abutting pins below said apron, across the path of said dogs short of the end of the travel thereof and adapted to force said dogs into the said substantially horizontal position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,466,177 Lacke Aug. 28, 1923 2,397,192 Meyerbach Mar. 26, 1946 2,591,339 Davis Apr. 1, 1952 2,848,124 Angell Aug. 19, 1958 2,865,517 Alford Dec. 23, 1958 

1. A CENTERING AND REJECTING DEVICE FOR PAPER ROLLS OR THE LIKE, COMPRISING: (A) A CONVEYING TABLE FORMED OF A PLURALITY OF CENTRAL CONVEYOR ROLLERS DISTRIBUTED AXIALLY OF THE TABLE AND OF A LONGITUDINAL APRON ALONG EACH SIDE OF SAID CONVEYOR ROLLERS; SAID ROLLERS BEING NARROWER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE PAPER ROLLS ADAPTED TO BE DISPLACED THEREOVER SO THAT SAID ROLLS OVERLIE A PORTION OF EACH SIDE APRON; (B) SAID TABLE INCLUDING A SECTION PIVOTABLE ABOUT AN AXIS PARALLEL TO AND OFFSET FROM THE AXIS OF THE TABLE AND COMPRISING SOME OF THE CONVEYOR ROLLERS AND THE ADJACENT PART OF ONE SIDE APRON; (C) LIFTING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID PART OF SAID ONE SIDE APRON AND ACTING TO PIVOT SAID SECTION TO REJECT A PAPER ROLL LOCATED ON SAID SOME OF THE CONVEYOR ROLLERS; (D) THE APRON LOCATED ACROSS SAID LIFTING MEANS BEING PROVIDED WITH GROOVE MEANS ALONGSIDE SAID CONVEYOR ROLLERS AND AT A DISTANCE THEREOF SUCH THAT THE GROOVE MEANS WILL LIE UNDERNEATH PASSING PAPER ROLLS; 